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FROM FOOD WASTE TO COSMETIC ACTIVESCAMILLE MANSUY, CHARLES-HENRI MORICE

Lessonia, Saint-Thonan, France

As an example, just in France, 350 millions of tons (2) of organic and biodegradable waste are produced every year. The food industry serves numerous sources of waste valorisation. The majority of the exfoliating particles created from the sub-products of this industry comes from transforming activities such as fruit juices, jams or oils manufacturing.

Fruit shells: apricots, peaches, olives…Fruit shells mainly come from the fruit purees and juices’ industries. These processing industries generate sub-products as stones fruits which are, at fi rst, recovered by the oil manufacturers. Fruits stones are crushed to retrieve the kernel which is then pressed to produce the oil. Finally, the sub-products of this operation, the kernel shells, are recovered by exfoliating ingredients manufacturers to be transformed into exfoliating particles. These exfoliator are in the form of brown coloured powders and for this reason it is mostly used by cosmetic brands wishing to promote the natural aspect of their formulation. They are easy to be used because they are stable and compatible with all formulation types. They are easily kept in suspension and in addition have good abrasive properties.

Example of the apricot shell

Citruses pericarps: lemon, orange, bitter orange The pericarps of citruses are by-products from the fruit juice industry. They are great raw materials to manufacture some supple exfoliating ingredients adapted for sensitive skins. Indeed, the exfoliating particles resulting from these co-products are supple and do not damage the skin.

INTRODUCTION

In an age where consumers ask for natural cosmetics products that are respectful of the environment, the question of sustainability in cosmetics is more relevant than ever. Finding alternatives to non-natural ingredients has appeared as a necessity for the cosmetic industry and for the brands. Solutions have been developed by ingredients’ suppliers that not only address to the sustainability matter, but also participate in the protection of the environment by contributing to reducing waste from other industries. The transformation of food waste into exfoliating particles is an example of the answers given by the cosmetic industry to customers’ green concerns. Exfoliating particles are defi ned as cosmetic ingredients in powder forms used to manufacture mechanical scrubs.

THE REPURPOSING OF VEGETAL CO-PRODUCTS: THE CASE OF THE EXFOLIATING PARTICLES

Some ingredients’ suppliers, concerned about the ecological impact of their activity, have made the choice to offer natural ingredients, which are respectful of the environment. The use of food waste to create cosmetic ingredients is an example of their green implication. By repurposing the coproducts from the food industry into exfoliating particles, exfoliating ingredients’ manufacturers give to this waste a second life and participate to the reduction of the environmental impact of both the cosmetic industry and the food industry. In the developed world, we estimate that “20-40% of food waste is generated at the manufacturing stage of supply chains and is often managed in non-optimised ways leading to additional environmental impacts.”(1). Another fact is that a signifi cant part of the industrial food waste is unavoidable. This type of waste are known as food by-products (1).

The repurposing of coproducts through the exfoliating particles production

Nowadays the question of sustainability in the cosmetic industry is getting more relevant than ever, starting with the increasing consumers’ demand for natural formulations, more respectful of the environment. The valorisation of food waste into exfoliating ingredients is a perfect illustration of the efforts than can be made by the cosmetic industry to answer the customers’ needs and wants while positively impacting the Nature. Reducing waste generated by both the food and cosmetic industries offers numerous real benefits and may therefore represents the future of the cosmetic ingredients.

ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS: Exfoliating particles, sustainability, cosmetic ingredients.

H&PC Today - Household and Personal Care Today - vol. 13(3) May/June 2018

Industry perspective

Figure 1. Lemon exfoliating particle - Microscope view.

Cranberry grounds:Fruits are pressed to extract the juice. From this operation result grounds still rich in antioxidant molecules as anthocynidins. Grounds are dried to be used as different cosmetic ingredients: grinded and sieved at 500 to 2000 microns size, the cranberry grounds can be used as exfoliating particles. Micronized into very fi ne powder, it becomes a pigment powder. Finally, the cranberry grounds can also be used as a raw material to manufacture and extract dedicated to bring anthocyanins in cosmetic products with anti-infl ammatory and antioxidants properties.

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Fruit seeds: strawberries, raspberries, kiwis…The seeds from certain fruits are also by-products that can be used as an exfoliating ingredients. The by-product is washed in order to eliminate the pulp and only keep the seeds. These quite spherical particles have a nice marketing and decorative effect in cosmetic formulations as they translate the naturalness of the cosmetic product by a visual impact. These particles are semi-spherical and provide a gentler exfoliation compared to others because they glide over the skin. They can be used to formulate original scrub products which look like fruit jellies.

Example of pomegranate seedsThe pomegranate seeds are a by-products already valorised in the nutraceutical industry as they enable to obtain an oily compound, the punicic acid (obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction). This extraction step results in a pomegranate meal which is grinded by the cosmetic ingredients manufacturers to obtain exfoliating particles. The same operation can be made for other meals coming from the oil industry (grape seeds, moringa…).

Nuts shells: walnut, almonds, coconut…The industry of nuts generates a lot of shells that are put aside after the crushing step of the fruits. Nuts shells are very great raw materials to be used as exfoliating ingredients as they possess several advantages. It is a non-fi brous material contrary to lots of vegetal raw materials, as a result, the exfoliating particles obtained are very regular which guarantees a visual homogeneity. Thus, they are very appreciated for their brown colour with a natural connotation. A second advantage, inert when put in formulation, there is no transfer of colouration or substance, no impact on the pH or on other parameters of the formula. Finally, the hardness of this raw material provides a good abrasiveness on the skin. That is why you usually fi nd this type of exfoliating particles in body scrub.

H&PC Today - Household and Personal Care Today - vol. 13(3) May/June 2018

Figure 2. Argan exfoliating paricles - Microscope view.

Table 1. Comparison of the technical characteristics of different exfoliating particles (4).

New frontiers in solar products and its evaluations

The latest research in the solar radiation fi eld, indicates that photo-protectors not only should protect against ultraviolet radiation but they should provide a full protection against the solar spectrum, so as to avoid the negative effects they occasion at short and long terms. The resistance to water, sweat and sand, with long-lasting products and wet-skin formulas, requires evaluations and studies to truly prove that they are effective and ensure that they are photostable.Furthermore, so as to demonstrate the protection against infrared and blue light radiations, several approaches can be used, some at cellular and tissue level.We have in vitro and ex vivo evaluation methods to study the effect of photo-toxicity, in addition we count on cultivation and cellular tissues essays, which allows us to know the behavior of them when exposed to solar radiation.Another claim in these products is the one that increases tanning. Its effectiveness is verifi ed when after the application of the product, the tanning of the radiation against UVA is higher. To validate it, volunteers using this product are exposed to UVA radiation: an evaluation of the increase in pigmentation at different times, compared to placebo, is performed using colorimetric techniques.It is very important when talking about solar products, that they have passed the corresponding tests to certify that they are effective and safe against the sun’s rays, and for this Zurko Research is your best ally!

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24 H&PC Today - Household and Personal Care Today - vol. 13(3) May/June 2018

Camille Mansuy has worked at LESSONIA for almost 2 years. She is in charge of Marketing and Communication.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Coffee grounds (3)To obtain coffee exfoliating particles, you can grind and sieved coffee beans or you can adopt a more ecological solution which is the use of the coffee grounds. The advantage of this method for a cosmetic formulation is that the water-soluble components have already been extract. The exfoliating raw material obtained is so inert in cosmetic formulations while it keeps all its exfoliating physical properties.

GOING FURTHER IN THE GREEN ECONOMY

Some ingredients’ suppliers go further in their ecological approach by repurposing their own sub-products. This is the case for Lessonia, which valorises the residues of fi ne powders obtained after the grinding and sieving process. These fi ne powders, too soft to be used as exfoliating ingredients, fi nd other cosmetic uses. They are micronized to the size of only a few microns before being used for matifying effects, sebum absorption, or plant pigments. Other sub-products that cannot be used in cosmetics are valorised for other uses such as for agricultural purposes. As an example, the fi ne powder of kernels shells is used to absorb compounds for the feed industry. The manufacturing of exfoliating ingredients from by-products do not generate any other waste.

AND THIS IS TO REPLACE THE MICROPLASTICS THAT CAUSE POLLUTION

Today, the transformation of food waste into exfoliating particles is of major importance. Indeed, the revalorising of this waste offers a variety of solutions for the replacement of plastic microbeads into cosmetic products.Figures are alarming (5): according to a study from the MED expedition conducted between 2010 and 2011, 290 billions of micro plastics drift on the Mediterranean Sea’s surface. The culprits of this ecological problem have been identifi ed as micro plastic particles contained in the personal care and skincare products as toothpaste and products with an exfoliating action (scrubs (6), shower gels…). Because of their small size and their buoyancy, these microbeads go directly through sludge’s treatment systems and end their race into rivers and oceans. Those beads of plastic end up being eaten by fi sh which cannot tell the difference with plankton, the same fi sh that are consumed by humans.As they are not biodegradable, those micro plastics are colonised by microorganisms which jeopardise the biodiversity of the marine species. They could also impact sea-surface microlayer eco-systems (7). Given the urgency of the situation, some countries have already taken actions to ban plastics in cosmetic products,

forcing industrials to look for environment friendly alternatives. Thanks to their diversity (different colours, shapes…), these newly natural exfoliating particles are now used by major actors of the cosmetic industry.

CONCLUSION

The valorisation of food waste into cosmetic ingredients represents one of the many solutions to create a positive impact on the environment. Natural exfoliating particles created from food waste represent so many plastic particles that will not pollute the ocean. This activity even contributes to reducing waste, generated both by the food and the cosmetic industries. More than a response to the consumers’ demand for eco-friendly products, it also offers solutions to serious ecological concerns, hence it serves the future of the cosmetic ingredients’ industry

REFERENCES

1. G. Garcia-Garcia, E.Woolley, S.Rahimifard. Optimising industrial food waste management. Procedia Manufacturing 8 pp.432-439 (2017).

2. Planétoscope Conso Globe: https://www.planetoscope.com/dechets/614-production-de-dechets-en-france.html (last checked March, 2nd 2018)

3. A. Russo, Agro-Cosmetics: The Transformation of Agro-Industrial Waste Into Useful Natural Fragrances for Cosmetics, Eurocosmetics, 1/2, Volume N°26 pp 22-25 (2018).

4. C-H.Morice. Choosing the right natural exfoliating ingredient (2017) Personal Care Asia Pacifi c pp35-38

5. Actu Environnement: https://www.actu-environnement.com/ae/news/expedition-MED-scientifi ques-microplastiques-mediterranee-ingestion-poissons-15700.php4 (last check on March, 2nd 2018)

6. Report for European Commission DG Environment, Study to support the development of measures to combat a range of marine litter sources, 29 janvier 2016, http://ec.europa.eu/environment/marine/good-environmental-status/descriptor-10/pdf/MSFD%20Measures%20to%20Combat%20Marine%20Litter.pdf

7. M.R. Gregory, Plastic scrubbers in hand cleansers: a further source for marine pollution identifi ed, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 32, 867-871 (1996).

Charles-Henri Morice has worked at LESSONIA for 8 years. As the Innovation Manager, he is in charge of research and innovation partnerships (academic & industrial) and works on different fi elds: marine actives for cosmetic applications, innovative masks and patches concepts, technical development of exfoliating and decorative particles ranges. This R&D strategy has enabled LESSONIA to fi le several patents in 2017.

Figure 3. The coproducts in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, Considerable deposits (2016) – The fresh fruit and vegetable sector.